These Photos Show The Harsh Reality Of War In Iraq And Afghanistan

A Marine after a firefight with the Taliban in Helmand, one of the most dangerous provinces of Afghanistan.Peter van Agtmael/Magnum

"War encapsulates the whole range of human experience. That’s what is so seductive about it. It makes you feel alive," says photographer Peter Van Agtmael.

Van Agtmael was fascinated by war since a young age. After the terrorist attacks of 9/11, he traveled to Ground Zero to photograph the aftermath for a newspaper at Yale, where he was an undergraduate. After graduating, he decided to document the wars of his generation. He spent three years preparing himself for the task, documenting conflict and dangerous situations around the world for various photo agencies. In 2006, he applied and was accepted to be embedded with the Army in Iraq.

Since that first tour, Van Agtmael has returned countless times to both Iraq and Afghanistan, where he has forged friendships, witnessed tragedy, and been woken up to the rude, brutal reality of American wars.